Safety-stirrup.



J. G. MASSIB. SAFETY STIREUP.

APPLIOATIQN FILED APR. 3, 1909. 949,830. Patented Feb.22,191o

JOI-IN GORE MASSIE, F EAST ST. LOUIS, ILLINOIS.

SAFETY-STIRRUP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 22, 1910.

Application led April 3, 1909. Serial No. 487,620.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN G. Massin, a citizen of the United States, residing at East St. Louis, in the county of St. Clair and State of Illinois, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Safet-y-Stirrups, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a saddle stirrup of the safety type so designed that the rider can extricate himself from the horse and saddle in case he is thrown from the horse and thereby avoid serious accident.

The invention has for its objects to improve and simplify the construction and operation of devices of this character so as to be comparatively simple and inexpensive to manufacture, and reliable and effective in use.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a stirrup which is detachably mounted on the-supporting strap by means of a clip which can be opened by moving the leg of the rider through a keeper which is fastened to the leg by a strap passing around the same, so that when the clip is opened, the stirrup will become detached from the saddle and remain on the leg of the rider.

Vith these objects in view and others, as will appear as the description proceeds, the invention comprises the various novel features of construction and arrangement of parts which will be more fully described hereinafter and set forth with particularit-y in the claims appended hereto.

In the accompanying drawing, which illustrates one embodiment of the invention, Figure 1 is a side view of the safety stirrup showing the same attached to the supporting strap. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the clip open and the stirrup detached from the supporting strap. Fig. 3 is a sectional view on line 3 3, Fig. 1.

Similar reference characters are employed to designate corresponding parts throughout the views.

Referring to the drawing, A designates a stirrup of any approved design which is formed at its upper end with an eye or loop 1 through which passes a doubled strap 2 on which the stirrup is suspended. The strap 2 passes through an eye or loop 4L of a supporting bracket or frame 5 which has an upwardly-extending member or post 6, the extremity of which is formed into one jaw 7 of a clasp or clip 8. The other jaw 9 of the clip is fulcrumed at 10 on the upper end of the post 6 and is provided with a depending arm 11 which is engaged by an L-shaped keeper 12 that is fulcrumed at 13 on the frame 5 and provided with a recess or opening 14 into which the lower extremity of the arm 11 engages when the clasp 8 is closed. The clasp grips a ring 15 carried on the lower end of the stirrup strap 16 of the saddle and when the clasp opens, the stirrup will become detached. keeper 12 is disposed with its upwardlyextending arm behind the clasp 8 and terminates in an eye 17 at its upper end, and in this eye is a band or strap 18 which is fastened around the leg of the rider by a snap catch 19 on one end of the strap that engages a ring 20 on the other end. The keeper is held in locking position in such a manner as to be readily opened by a back movement of the leg with respect to the stirrup, and for this purpose a U-shaped clasp 21 is mounted on the keeper in such a position that the spring arms of the device 21 will grasp the clasp 8 at opposite sides thereof and over the fulcrum point 10 to thereby frictionally hold the keeper 12 in normal position so that the clasp 8 will not open.

In practice, the parts are normally in the position shown in Fig. 1 and it will be noted that the clasp is locked in closed positiox'r so that pressure can be exerted on the stirrup without the clasp unlocking. In case of an accident, it is merely necessary for the rider to remove his limbs to disengage the clasp or holder 21 and tilt the keeper 12 so as to disengage the lower end of the arm 11 in the recess 14 of the keeper. The clasp 8 will then open automatically and thus detach the stirrup from the supporting strap so that the rider is free to eXtricate himself from the saddle.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, the advantages of the construction and of the method of operation will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art to which the invention appertains, and while I have described the principle of operation of the invention, together with the device which I now consider to be the best embodiment thereof, I desire to have it understood that the device shown is merely illustrative and that such changes may be made when desired as are within the scope of the appended claims.

The Y Y I-Iaving thus described the invention, what I claim is l. In combination, a stirrup, a frame connected with said stirrup and provided with a jaw, a cooperating jaw pivoted to said frame, and having a projecting member, a keeper pivoted to said frame and adapted to engage the member of the pivoted jaw to hold the jaws closed under normal conditions, a holder carried by said keeper to engage the frame to hold the jaws closed under normal conditions, and means for connecting the keeper to the rider to effect release of the jaws.

2. In combination, a stirrup, a frame connected with said stirrup and provided at its upper end with a jaw, a companion jaw pivoted to said frame and having a pendent arm, a keeper of L-form pivoted to said frame and having a recess to receive the pendent member of the pivoted jaw, a U- shaped clasp carried by said keeper and adapted to embrace said frame to hold the jaws closed, and a device attached to the up per end of the keeper to secure same to the rider for releasing the frame 'under abnormal conditions.

3. The combination of a stirrup, a frame connected with the top of the stirrup, a pair of jaws carried by the frame, an L-shaped keeper pivoted on the frame and extending upwardly therefrom, a member on one of the jaws arranged to engage the keeper to hold the jaws closed, a spring device mountn ed on the keeper to yieldingly grip the jaws for holding the keeper in normal position, a supporting element gripped by the jaws to detachably suspend the stirrup on a saddle, and a band attached to the upper end of the keeper for fastening the latter to the leg of the rider. j

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN GORE MASSIE.

IVitnesses ELLswoR'rrr BARTON, EMMA MITCHELL. 

